Castellnovo: Beatriz de Borja Castle and the cistern below town

Castellnovo developed below a castle whose ruined walls, arches and vaults survive. The name Beatriz de Borja recalls its seigneurial phase and Renaissance transformation. Beneath the centre, the cistern explains the water supply; Mal Paso Tower stands on another hill roughly one kilometre away.

A transformed castle, not a complete palace

Visitor sources describe successive occupation and rebuilding before a Renaissance intervention associated with Beatriz de Borja. The photograph shows the present fragmentary condition: ruined masonry and structures on the rock. It should not be presented as a furnished residence or as guaranteeing access to every enclosure.

The cistern is hydraulic infrastructure

The Hispano-Arab cistern is reached from Calle Comandante Pérez by a steep staircase. Provincial documentation describes a well about eight metres across, 10.5 metres deep and with a capacity approaching 200,000 litres, used to supply the population until the mid-twentieth century.

This underground space is not an ornamental pool visible from the square. Its entrance, steps and use during festivities require checking local conditions; this review does not certify unrestricted visiting.

Mal Paso requires a separate outing

Mal Paso Tower and its associated archaeological site occupy a hill northeast of the village. Excavations record a long sequence including a burial cave, Iberian-Roman remains and medieval material. It is not part of the short walk between castle, Plaça de l’Olmo and cistern: check route, ascent, weather and restrictions before setting out.